Faux Russian Winter
by SamCyberCat
Summary: Experiencing snow for the first time had been something that Vera was really looking forward to, but after a while she just wanted to get out of it. Olga/Vera.


Notes – Done for 15pairings. Set a while post-AJ.

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Snow was a quite beautiful thing that Vera had only experienced from the inside of a window before.

As part of her new found freedom she wanted to experience it firsthand, it was one of the many elements of life she'd missed that she was looking forward to catching up on. When came it to winter she slipped out the house to watch the small white flakes fall from the sky.

She sketched it a bit, her hand darting furiously across page after page of her drawing pad, capturing how it changed the appearance of that it landed on and how the people in the street reacted to it.

More often than not the older members of society would shrug it off and grumble, which Vera couldn't understand, while the children would take great joy in trampling through it and throwing snowballs at one another. Like Vera they probably didn't have as much experience with snow and thus found it fascinating.

But after so many hours of sitting outside in the changed weather Vera learned why the older people were so irritated by the snow. It was very cold.

Getting to her feet she shook off, thinking that it was time to go home now. Only she had wandered so far to try and find new places to draw that it was still quite far from the apartment she lived in. It wouldn't hurt to find a place to stay for a while until she warmed up.

Unluckily for her she chose the only place that was colder than the winter outside – the Borscht Bowl Club.

Walking down the steps that led inside, Vera deluded herself into believing that it was warm and that the chill was all in her mind, looking across at the only person around at this time of day, someone who appeared to be a blonde waitress wearing an unusual bandana decorated with dice. If she was honest with herself the lady looked a little like a pirate.

She wasn't to know that the lady was not a waitress at all, but a professional con artist who had taken a liking to the club and decided to stay there. During the busy nights she would dress as a meek Russian girl to give the right impression for the place, but right now, when it wasn't busy, she felt more comfortable in her clothing of choice.

"Hello, do you mind if I stay for a while?" Vera asked, still feeling very awkward about talking to people in general.

Stopping cleaning the table, a job she'd not really cared for anyway, the other woman answered, "Might as well, what can I get you?"

"I'm not much of a drinker…" Vera mumbled, looking across at the bottles behind the counter. Somehow alcohol always seemed to eye her dangerously, but she couldn't put her finger on why.

"I know the type," the other tutted, "You're welcome to stay in out the cold, don't know why anyone would want to be out there right now anyway. Name's Olga, by the way."

"Vera Misham," she replied, "And I can't say I agree with you about the snow. Experiencing it is… wonderful."

"But you still came in to get out of it?" Olga said, grinning smugly.

"Well yes, but… it's something better handled in small doses," said Vera, not feeling confident in her arguing skills.

"It's not the only thing," Olga laughed, eyeing the bottles of that particular grape juice on the side.

Not knowing what to say to that, Vera fell into silence. She couldn't help herself, talking was something that felt so wrong to her and if she didn't force herself to do it then after a while it just fizzled out. It wasn't that she couldn't see how it affected those around her; she was just powerless to do anything about it.

Olga watched the girl in front of her. This meek little thing would be crushed by the atmosphere if she'd come at a time when the club was busy. Someone like her was the last person Olga expected to see here.

She was also shivering.

Out of all the places she'd come to escape the cold she'd chosen here, a club that was purposely kept freezing to keep with the Russian theme the owner was trying to uphold.

In truth Olga herself had become so used to the place that she'd stopped feeling the cold. It happened to everyone who worked there for more than a few months. It wasn't fair that a stranger like this girl should have to deal with it though.

"Here," Olga said gruffly, reaching under the counter to pull out the warm, fur-lined coat that she wore as part of her disguise and tossing it over at Vera, "There's a hat too, if you want it."

Vera opened her mouth to say thanks, but the cold choked out her usual quiet whispers and only released the cold steam that hung in the air. So instead she scrambled to put the coat on, huddling it around her very closely.

Somehow the way her blue hair draped out over the top of the coat made her look really… cute, for lack of a better word, Olga realised. Magnified by the way she clutched it to herself so tightly.

"Stick around for a while, I've got work to do but you can still stay," Olga said, "Though I'd recommend getting out before the punters get her, unless you're good at poker."

Vera blinked across at her.

No, she was definitely not good at poker; you could just tell.

And she did stay at the club, not interrupting Olga at all while she cleaned the place and got ready for the night of business to follow. Somehow by the time she'd got up to leave Olga had forgotten exactly how much time had past.

"Thank you for letting me stay," she said, moving to take off the coat.

"No, you can keep it," Olga said, noting Vera was certainly not dressed for the weather outside, "Just bring it back in the next few days, I sort of need it."

Pulling the coat closer around herself, Vera said, "That's very kind of you. I will bring it back, wh-when it's not snowing."

"Just hurry up and get home before a blizzard starts," Olga said cheerfully. She watched Vera walk towards the door, then called after, "You might like it more here during the summer, the chill's a good break from the heat then."

She had no idea why she said it. Somehow having Vera around while the place was quiet seemed comforting, even if she didn't add to the noise.

Looking back, Vera just nodded and smiled.

It was the sort of smile that occurred so rarely that when it happened you knew it was genuine.

She might not have had a poker face, but Olga felt she could definitely work on that girl.


End file.
